Stettler Groundwater Exploration Program, 1962, 38-20-W4

In the summer of 1962, the Research Council of Alberta was approached by the Town of Stettler about additional groundwater exploration in the Stettler area, with a view on the future growth of the town and in anticipation of the steadily growing demand for water.

After a preliminary investigation of the available data, an area 3 miles west of Stettler was outlined as being prospective on the basis of water-well logs and seismic shothole logs, indicating a deep bedrock surface and the presence of a considerable thickness of sand. The presence of a buried bedrock channel in this general area has since long been suspected but has never been accurately located.

From August 29, 1962 to September 4, 1962, ten testholes were put down in Sections 32 and 33 of Tp. 38, R. 20, W. 4th M. and Section 3 and 4, Tp. 39, R. 20, W. 4th M. Only in testhole #62-4, Lsd 15, Sec. 33, Tp. 33 R. 20, W. 4M., was the channel located (depth to bedrock 210 feet), and a pump test was subsequently conducted at this location. Data obtained from this test indicated that the channel is approximately 1300 feet wide at this location. The transmissibility of the aquifer is approximately 8000 Imp. gallons/day foot with a storage coefficient of 1.7 x 10^-4. The aquifer is capable of producing 175 gallons per minute continuously for a period of 20 years at one location but the nature of the aquifer material and its limited thickness would not permit a single well to produce at this rate without considerable well loss and consequently a shorter well-life.